Candidates for next generation of armoured vehicles unveiled

The vehicles - Boxer, Piranha and VBCI - were put through their paces at the Bovington training area as part of trials for a FRES Utility Vehicle Variant. The winning design will be developed further to meet the Army's future needs.

The Utility Vehicle design competition is a key element of the FRES acquisition strategy announced in November 2006. The FRES programme will equip the UK Armed Forces with over 3,000 new medium weight armoured vehicles.

This includes reconnaissance, direct fire, and manoeuvre support vehicles. They will provide high levels of protection and will be air-transportable, allowing troops to deploy rapidly around the globe.

Defence Minister Lord Drayson said:

"These trials are a significant step forward in a vital programme which is at the centre of the future of the British Army. I made clear in February that MOD intended to take forward the FRES programme at pace. Today's event is tangible evidence of that commitment being put into practice, and I look forward to announcing the winners of both the trials and the System of Systems Integrator competition in November."

The Army's FRES requirement continues to be informed by operational experience, where the threats to our forces are constantly evolving. This operational experience means that FRES specifications will be matched as closely as possible to the needs of our troops both today and in the future.

The candidate vehicles are the Boxer, produced by the Dutch-German ARTEC consortium; Piranha, a Mowag design presented by General Dynamics UK; and the VBCI (Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie, or "Armoured vehicle for infantry combat") produced by the French company Nexter. The trials have involved the candidate vehicles being evaluated by technical experts and soldiers.

Speaking from FRES trials held at Bovington, Brigadier Chris Deverell said:

"FRES represents the equipment heart of the future Army".